Fast has been one of the Rangers’ more steady forwards on the bottom six. But the Rangers certainly have the depth to deal with this injury. I don’t expect them to make a trade in response. I’d expect them to keep Matt Puempel in the lineup, and perhaps recall Pavel Buchnevich.

Ow, that hurts. First of all, if you have ever had one, it is a painful and often rather slow healing injury. Secondly, Fast and Lindbergh have been a force on the 4th line somlosing Fast hurts. May he recover quickly. I’d rather that they bring up Hvrick to play on the 4th than use Pirri.

Seriously? This says more about you as a human being than anything else. It’s a damn sport. An eye for an eye? Give me a break. Second time you’ve admitted wishing harm on another person. These guys don’t even do that to teach other.

It’s a sport. If the Rangers never win another game for a 1,000 years NOTHING could ever move me to wish purpose harm on another player for the other team. Injuries happen it’s life. Accidents happen. But to purposefully go out and attempt to injure someone is nothing more than assault and battery

So that justifies intentionally hurting someone? Look I don’t like AV anymore than you do.

Does anyone here seriously and with 100% sincerity think that Jesper Fast was hit with the only intent to injure him? We both know that the full on intent to injure plays are 6pm evening news worthy. Simon stick to throats of Holliweg. McSorely whacking brasher. Hunter on Turgeon.

There is nothing that can justify willful assault and battery on the ice.

I’m not an AV fan at all. I will agree at times he’s given the perception of punishing players for certain actions. I will agree that he’s very selective in that regards.

But since the game in Dallas where Lundqvist was run over, the Rangers as a team have stood up for each other, they’ve been going to the dirty areas of the ice, they’ve been winning board battles.

I think as Dave pointed out in the other thread, the definition of “toughness” keeps changing and the goal post keeps getting moved.

Much more alarming is that even after Probert and Boogard, as well as scores of football players, as much more that we know about neuro-trauma to the brain and just the effects of playing high speed contact sports (which while much greater now than 30 years ago, is still only the tip of knowledge) that we have people advocating willful malicious injury on another person. How many more human beings have to inflict self harm on themselves to get themselves out of their pain or can’t remember their children’s names at 45 before we eliminate the belief that it’s ok to deliberately hurt someone.

john b, we all are entitled to our own opinions, take off your panties, put on a jock strap. Hockey is a physical sport ( although you would never know it by how the Rangers play). I am so tired of seeing us get knocked around, and never doing any of the knocking around to our opponents. Last year it was Ryan McD ( our captain) , earlier in the year it was Hank ( our franchise player , who happens to be our goalie, you never touch a goalie) he gets blasted into next week, no retaliation. Now Jesper Fast, one of our more engaging players, who is an awesome teammate, playing some of his best hockey. The best player on the Caps, decides to thump him, because he knows deep down inside, no Ranger will do anything to retaliate. SOFTNESS PERSONIFIED.. ICE CAPADES ANYONE?? AV has plenty of extra tickets!!

You think if we had a couple of ‘tough’ players ovechkin would not be so comfortable boarding our players?????
The last time we played the caps in the playoffs he nailed/boarded mcdonagh who couldn’t get back in the play and the caps scored…..
He will continue to do this until ‘someone sends him a message’….
Doesn’t ranger mngt/coaching see this ????????//

I think this rangers team is loaded with talent and will have a great future, however until we add some toughness [ esp on defense ] and leadership and better coach……….?

John, I agree Ovi has been playing tough since he got into the league, I doubt anyone will intimidate him.
Let me answer your message question. Inflict and I use that word intentionally, some serious, equally hard hit on players like Backstrom. There is a message. I am not saying dirty and I am not saying try to injure. I am saying an equal hit should be placed upon players of the opposing team who any coach will want on the ice and not in the trainers room.
If you think the Rangers are a real Cup contender as presently assembled, I will respectfully disagree. We are a one dimensional, fast fast and fast, team that lacks any semblance of a physical presence. Good coaches will adjust to our game, as you saw the Caps do last night.
I am not advocating a goon type player. I am advocating a 4th line winger and a D-man that can let opposing teams know there is a price to pay for physical play against our non-physical players.
Fast and to a greater degree Stepan, are not physical players.
The Caps and Jackets are designed for a grueling 7 games series. The can play a speed game and they can check, and check hard. As evident last night.
The Rangers do not have any answer, except giving the opposing players a stern talking to. If you saw last nights game, when Backstrom exited the penalty box, he came down the ice, Hank froze the puck and Backstrom gave him a nice snow shower. Try doing that to Holtby, Bobrovsky or even Murray.
In my opinion the Rangers need more physical players, OR more players to play physical.
And just to stop the BS strawman arguments I’ll repeat myself. I’m NOT talking about a goon type player.

I’ve said time and again, we need a tough guy, or two, but NOT GOONS. Some will skim over the last two words, NOT GOONS. What kind of player would I like, well a Mess, Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsey, guys who had plenty of skill, and balls. Here is the issue, Marv doesn’t care for these players, simple and sweet. I remember DMac getting into a fight in what may have been his first game (?), the look on Marv’s face said it all, the kid sat for the rest of the game, and didn’t play again for about a month. Now this is no attempt to say the kid was great, or even serviceable, but the kid was physical, and sweet pea Marv just hates that.

Did i say injure him?????
Just play him hard, check him at every opportunity, get under his skin, bother him, let him know what its like to get hit every time he touches the puck……….and board, check him at every opportunity like he does……..
Thats what you do to a bully!!!!!!

But we need a couple of big , physical defensemen which we dont have right now…..and a tough physical winger to match up with him….[ a tom wilson type]
You got a better idea John B ???????

Tom Wilson does not factor into the Washington success. He averages a whole 12 minutes of ice, gives up 28 SA60, a 2.2 xGA60 against a 2.1 xGF60 a minus -2.1 RelGF% for a whole 0.22 points per game.

The Rangers responded last night. No they’re not overly physical players. But again that era of hockey is RAPIDLY fading away. Once again look at how much Pitt was out “hit” in the playoffs. The Rangers stood up for themselves. For once we have a GM building a team towards where hockey is going.

We can continue to do that, or build a “tough” team and be completely irrelevant. Deterrence/intimidation does not exist

The New York Rangers had “toughness” and #grit in the lineup when Stalberg was crosschecked. Did it prevent it? Did it make Letang think again? NO.

I 150% agree that it should have been a penalty. It wasn’t. Honest assessment, would it have mattered? No. Power Plays for the Rangers are just a wasted 2+ minutes of time off the clock the past few years.

And Ovie has been speared, boarded, fought, cross checked, slashed, high sticked, slew footed, you name it. He hasn’t changed and he’s not going to.

I mentioned Tom Wilson in an earlier post, only because he was running rough shot all night long.

Get us a big, nasty winger, defenseman, who will dish out some clean hurt, that’s what we all are calling for. Remember those Islander teams that won four cups in a row, how many skilled players did they have that we tough, nasty, and dished out hurt, or do you not remember. If you don’t, please look at that roster, then maybe you’ll understand what we all are talking about. And for the record, and the upteenth time, I’m not looking for GOONS!!!!!!!

“Remember those Islander teams that won four cups in a row, how many skilled players did they have that we tough, nasty, and dished out hurt, or do you not remember”

That’s just it Walt. I do remember. But that was also 30+ years ago. Those players would not be nearly as effective in the current NHL. That’s the point. Winning organizations look at where the game is, and where it is going and build to that. Teams that look into the past and build off that, fade into irrelevance.